The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for operating a plant such as a thermal power plant.
In present CRT operation systems (those displaying information necessary for the operation of certain equipment on the screen of a CRT display device and thereby letting an operator operate the equipment) for plants such as thermal power plants, an operating end image (an image or a frame of information displayed on the screen, indicating the status etc. of the plant equipment at the operating end) is displayed on a CRT display device of a plant operation control panel which is installed in the central control room of the plant, and an operator in front of the plant operation control panel carries out the CRT operation of the plant equipment.
In a conventional plant operating method, when the operation or monitoring of certain plant equipment became necessary for a performance test after plant inspection etc., the operating end image is displayed on the CRT display device of the plant operation control panel and the CRT operation is carried out by an operator in the central control room. By an operation request from the CRT display device (having a function for receiving requests/instructions from the operator), a control signal for the plant equipment is outputted and thereby the plant equipment is operated by a control device via a network. The CRT display device acquires data concerning the operated plant equipment and displays the data on its status display screen. Meanwhile, a sound output device acquires sound data and thereby informs the operator about the condition or status of the plant by use of sound or voice.
Incidentally, when certain plant equipment has to be closely observed or watched, one or more observers are generally placed nearby the plant equipment in order to continuously watch the plant equipment. In case where abnormality or failure occurred to the plant equipment and emergency shut down became necessary, the central control room is informed of the situation by a telephone call from the observer using internal telephone.
In a system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI8-44407 (JP-A-8-44407), even an operator not located in front of the display device was allowed to operate the plant equipment, by means of infrared signal transmission. However, the directivity of infrared communication required the operator (carrying out the operation of the plant equipment) stay in the room (central control room etc.) where the display device is installed, that is, there was restriction on the place for carrying out the equipment operation.
As described above, in the conventional CRT operation system for a thermal power plant, when certain plant equipment requiring operation or monitoring is to be operated, an operator operates the plant equipment from such a CRT display device of a plant operation control panel which is installed in the central control room of the plant, while the plant equipment is closely observed by one or more observers at the plant worksite. Therefore, much man power is required for the operation and monitoring of the plant equipment. When abnormality of failure occurred to the plant equipment and an emergency operation (emergency shut down, etc.) became necessary, the observer at the plant worksite has to make contact with the operator in the central control room, in which a delay in making the contact can cause damage to the plant equipment.